


Hospital Bed

by StoriesSheWrites



Category: Derry Girls (TV)
Genre: Disabled Character, Epilepsy, Fluff, Friendship, epileptic character - Freeform, our fave girl gang help and comfort erin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:40:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27319384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoriesSheWrites/pseuds/StoriesSheWrites
Summary: Erin has a seizure, and the gang visits her in hospital.(There is no description of the seizure, only how Erin feels afterwards.)
Relationships: Erin Quinn & Everyone
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19





	Hospital Bed

She could hear her friends just beyond the curtain, chattering away nervously to each other. Or rather she could hear Clare chattering away nervously, while Orla comforted her, and James was conspicuous in his silence. She could not hear Michelle, though she was far too tired to question it.

Her father kissed her on her forehead and took her mother’s hand. “You’ll be alright, love. We’re just going to talk to the doctor. Your friends are desperate to see you.” Her mother reached out and stroked her cheek, and while usually she might be embarrassed because her friends were so close by, today she leaned into the touch. She hummed in agreement and attempted to wave her parents goodbye as the curtain swung over and Clare, Orla, and James crowded round her.

“Are you alright Erin?”

“Are you okay?”

“Is there anything we can do to help?”

“We’ve got tonnes of sweets for you. Loads!” Orla tipped a bagful onto Erin, who was not enjoying all the attention as much as she thought she would. “Mammy gave me more money to get you some, and Michelle guilt tripped Denis into giving us freebies. It was class,” she grinned, helping herself to a lollipop and hopping onto the bed. Clare pulled up a chair to sit next to her, with James opposite Clare, awkwardly patting Erin’s legs in a way that was meant to be comforting. 

“Where is Michelle?” Erin asked, very much aware of her absence. She couldn’t remember much but knew that Michelle had travelled in the ambulance with her, and her dad had said that Michelle had been the one to call both him and the emergency services.

James cringed while Clare rolled her eyes. “Out flirting with some doctor. Now are you okay?”

Michelle chose that moment to burst through the curtain. Grinning ear to ear she stood in front of them all with her hands on her hips. “He is not just _some_ doctor Clare. He’s a total ride. You’re hardly an authority over good looking men.”

“I can tell whether a man is ugly or not Michelle!”

“Doctor Pepper is not ugly. He has floppy hair for Christ’s sake! Did you get a good look at him Erin? He looks like your man, you know–”

“Wait, his name is Doctor Pepper? Like actually Doctor Pepper?”

“Yeah, so what dickhead?”

“Well it’s just a funny coincidence is all!” James snapped back, and Orla laughed out loud. James didn’t seem to take this as the greatest show of support, but Erin had to admit that this doctor’s name was pretty ridiculous.

“Aye. I dunno if I’d be able to fancy someone with a branded name.”

“Fine, more for me then. God, I might do nursing after all girls.”

“You can’t study nursing just because you want to ride a doctor Michelle,” Erin replied, squirming under the weight of all the sweets.

“Why not? He’s only a few years older than us. I’d be doing my training here and all,” she winked, “he would not be able to resist this.” She ran her hands up and down her body, and all Erin could do was wonder how she had so much confidence. _If I had a fraction of the confidence Michelle has_ , she thought bitterly, _I wouldn’t feel so bad_.

“Can yous, get these sweets, off me,” she struggled even more. “They’re not–”

“Oh no way. No way am I touching those, those stolen goods!”

“Stolen? I thought–”

“They’re _not_ stolen.” Michelle said, rolling her eyes. “I simply convinced Denis to let us have them. Said that if he hadn’t put up that flashing fucking light display, you wouldn’t’ve had your fit. He gave ‘em to us, it's not like we went in and just took them."

“Morally I don’t think there’s any difference! You threatened someone Michelle, you could get into real trouble,” Clare screeched, and then, seemingly aware of the level of her voice whispered, “Denis could go to the police you know!”

Michelle rolled her eyes and plonked herself down on the bed to Erin’s right. “Aye right, like he would ever do that. Sure didn’t he get robbed at gunpoint last year, and still didn’t call the police?”

“Oh grand, well at least we targeted an easy victim!” Clare said sarcastically while Orla beamed and nodded enthusiastically.

“It’s not like I can have any anyway, I don’t wanna get more spots. So it was a completely unselfish action.”

“How are you Erin? We were so worried about you. They only let your one person into the ambulance with you. Your mum and dad drove us up.” James cut over the chaos, once again rubbing Erin’s legs slowly, so that the rhythm of it became quite soothing.

“I…I…” Usually, she admitted to herself, she would milk this for all it was worth. She felt things strongly, felt emotions stronger than other people did; that’s why she had to write and perform poetry: to get it all out. But right now she just felt _weak_. Like if she moved her head or so much as blinked she would be sick again. Embarrassment also creeped along her cheeks, although she was presently too exhausted to deal with it. She had been having seizures for a few years now, but never in front of her friends and certainly never in public. “I’m alright.” She took in a deep breath, tried to focus her mind. “I’m just very tired.”

James nodded, as if he understood, while Orla dangled a dolly bead sweet necklace in front of her. “You need to eat then Erin, to get your strength back up. Eating sweets always makes me feel better.”

“No thanks Orla. I don’t wanna be sick again.”

“Fair enough. Not everybody can handle it,” Orla said, squeezing the necklace over her own head and nibbling at it while the lolly was still in her mouth.

“We’re here for you, if you ever need anything,” Clare said, grabbing Erin’s hand. “If you ever wanna talk, or if you need support, or anything, anything at all–”

“Like sweets nicked from Denis,” Michelle jibed, and Erin couldn’t stop herself chuckling.

“I think we’ve got more than enough here, but thanks,” she smiled, drowsiness clogging her mind. She was too tired, too tired to talk to them right now, too tired to even think. She’d worry about the embarrassment and all the unpleasantness later; for now she just wanted to curl up under the duvet and go to sleep, with the knowledge that her friends were there for her keeping her warm. “Thank you, girls. I appreciate you coming all this way…” She could feel herself drifting off, and let herself fall into a sleep, gradually becoming less and less aware of the blinding lights and the hubbub of the hospital.

“It’s okay.” One of them said, while someone else kissed her forehead and someone else squeezed her hand and someone else rubbed her legs.

**Author's Note:**

> So the reason I had James rub Erin's legs to comfort her is because I think he remembers Kathy doing it for him when he was a wee boy and had growing pains. And that is one of the few good memories he has of her (not to get too angsty). So he does it to comfort Erin like the sweetheart he is :')
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Please be kind <3
> 
> P.S. Because there are no graphic descriptions of seizures here, or anything graphic at all, I didn't think it needed any trigger warnings. Let me know if you think differently. Thanks <3


End file.
